Yourbestsailvideo
VHF-DSC Part 5: MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity)
October 14, 2019 · 7 min · 8K views
What this video covers
The Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) consists of a nine-digit number assigned to a vessel or maritime station for identification in DSC radio, AIS, and satellite EPIRB systems.0:06 The first three digits, known as the Maritime Identification Digits (MID), indicate the vessel's country of registration.1:06 The first digit of the MID identifies the continent: 2 for Europe, 3 for North America, 4 for Asia, 5 for Oceania, 6 for Africa, and 7 for South America.2:11 For example, the MID 224 or 226 identifies a Spanish vessel, while 234 or 235 denotes the United Kingdom and 247 signifies Italy.2:29 Stations other than individual vessels use specific prefixes: coastal stations begin with 00, groups of ships start with 10, and search-and-rescue aircraft begin with 11.4:07 Personal locator beacons and some portable VHF radios use different numerical prefixes.4:20 Public databases allow users to look up vessel information using these unique identifiers.6:19
More from Yourbestsail
From Yourbestsail — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.



